roller coaster madness.

Wow. Back from NCA, which was a pretty cool and also pretty intense experience. Nonstop brain explosion for 5 days. A and I tried to decide on descriptive themes for the experience. Mine? NCA 2007: How to save $175*. His? NCA 2007: Resort to Violence. HA. We're heading back to Chicago on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. Getting ready for yet another trip means that my life should be ranking about an 8 on the buelsy productivity scale today. However, there are other things I would like to do that are neither prudent nor affordable, but nonetheless very very tempting.

*I definitely did not register for this experience. I knew the "poor grad student card" would serve me well some day.

LIST OF THINGS THAT WOULD BE LOVELY IF DONE TODAY:
1. Shop for new clothes. I need long sleeves!
2. Watch three to four movies.
3. Put up Christmas lights and Christmas tree.
4. Knit hats.
5. Make artsy-fartsy Christmas cards.
6. Work on new Oral Comm. packet for Fall 2008.

LIST OF THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE FOR LIFE SURVIVAL TODAY:
1. Clean Messy Manor and the clothes of its inhabitants.
2. Work her not-super-skinny ass out.
3. Edit Methods Chapter for C-H.
4. Grade.
5. Read/Write Poli. Comm. textbook review.
6. Pay utilities bill.

Thankfully, there are a few cross over things on these lists that must be done but are also mildly enjoyable. Like working out, grading and paying utilities bills. Good places to get started.

--buelsy (she thinks she can, she thinks she can).

two dollar tacos.

This has already been a hard week to get through (yes, I realize it just began), and it's going to get even harder. Paper due tomorrow night, another paper due the night after that (albeit much less of a big deal), a tournament this weekend, a tournament next Tuesday, NCA from Wednesday-Sunday, and then Chicago for Thanksgiving the next Wednesday. OH EM GEE.

So that's that. Heart failure.

Samson by Regina Spektor: Best song ever.

--buelsy (in the throes of academic torture)

weekend edition #1

Friday Funday was alright—it could have been better. I ended up working on c-h’s paper until about six thirty a.m., and consequentially zonked out until mid-afternoon. Come to find out, the sleep schedule screw-up may have been in vain, because c-h didn’t even take the masterpiece on her debate trip (the whole point of finishing by eight a.m. Friday morning). It is still sitting untouched in her mailbox. In response to this situation, I kind of want to punch myself in the face. But moving on.

Several good things did happen during FF: (1) Target shopping, (2) J won his first football game, (3) Package from Bare Escentuals was finally* retrieved, and (4) A made a dinner that was not Thai, but still fab.

*Read post about the horrors of the U.S. package delivery system and weep.

A LINE FROM A SURVEY I TOOK IN 2005

"6. macs: if i could dedicate my body to the study of macs, i would."

I still feel that way.

CONCLUSIONS

• I like reading NY Times retractions. Nothing like the mistakes of the mighty.
  
• The Con by Tegan and Sara is brilliant. Best songs: The Con, Nineteen, Dark Come Soon, and Call It Off.
  
• Bare Escentuals: totally worth the over-pricing.
• I am addicted to Ambesol. This is because during stressful (all) times I chew my mouth to shreds. Neither of these conclusions can be good.
  
• My parents have broken into the world of text messaging.
  
• 43things.com is nice, but needs better aesthetics.
  
• I cannot get through another day of my life without purchasing the MLA Style Manual and Guide for Scholarly Publishing. This is sad because it costs $23.75, which is exactly $1.25 short of qualifying for FREE Super Saver Shipping.
• I need warmer socks.
  
• Fall in the Midwest: beautiful.
• Thai food tonight at Messy Manor.
  

--buelsy (against cold ankles)

caramel apple coma.

My new favorite thing to do is print out my Google Calendar and cross things out with blue marker when I finish them. The physicality of it makes me feel like I'm actually getting somewhere in life. I also like caramel apples. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD: package delivery. Let's face it, most of the package-receiving world works from roughly nine o'clock until five o'clock Monday through Friday. It is very likely that they will not be home to receive their packages. Worse yet, a missed package generally not available to be picked up until shortly before the pick-up location closes. This creates a very small window of pick-up opportunity, often resulting in two or three more days of this unproductive cycle. Based on these sad facts, I propose a new system of package delivery. When something is ordered online or via catalog (who does that?), the eager customer will be given the opportunity to specify their package for "delivery" or "pick up." "Delivery" will be an exact replica of the crappy system as it now exists, available for use by those few lucky souls who are happy with the status quo. In the "pick up" option, however, the package will come to the nearest UPS, FedEx or Royal Air Mail* location. Upon its arrival, the customer will be emailed, and they can pick it up at their convenience... say, their lunch break that very day. I don't know about you, but I firmly believe this change would make the world a better place. In fact, let's move it to Number One on the Que of World Change. Forget Africa. Forget world peace.

* I ordered something from England. It's brilliant. Check it out.

PLANS FOR FRIDAY, MY DESIGNATED DAY FOR "MENTAL SANITY"

• Make a small exception to the Friday-No-School Rule and work on c-h stuff until approximately 3:00 a.m.
• Sleep.
• Work out.
• Watch Gilmore Girls while doing Girl Stuff.
• Do Girl Stuff: take a bath, do nails, put on good smelling lotion, blow dry hair, apply new (and over-priced) make-up, put on an "outfit."
• Girl Stuff pretty much includes everything in the way of personal care that is usually sacrificed for academia.
  
• Wander the aisles of Target with no general purpose.
• Call J.
  
• Call Snakemouth.
• Call San Diego.
  
• Eat Thai Food with A.
• Drink wine.
• Play with cats.
  
• Watch Transformers and Knocked Up (Thank you, Netflix. I do adore you.)
• Sleep more.

I love Fridays, but they go by very fast. Kind of like summers and Christmas. They are glimpses of the nice parts of life.

--buelsy (back to the books for twelve more hours)

break-ups and blogsounds.

I woke up this morning, went to take a shower, and discovered that there was no water to be had in Messy Manor (apart from A's many and scattered half-full water bottles). It really threw me off. Kinda like getting up on the wrong side of the bed. Only the shower. In consequence, I have a paper to re-write, five million things to read, three classes to plan, and a prospectus to finish editing. In short: Good bye, weekend. It was nice when we were together. Maybe it'll work out again someday. But right now, I think we should just see other people. You? You'll see happy people with lots of free time. Me? I'll see dead or distant writers who fail to communicate clearly. It's okay. Better to have loved and lost, right?

MENTAL DEVIATIONS FROM WRITING THE UNSUCCESSFUL PAPER FOR C-H:

1. Most over-used word in scholarly writing: notion

2. Favorite new scholarly writers: Moya and Blankenship

• How much would you love it if more authoritative sources talked in every day language? (AKA colloquialism as a marketing strategy.) I'll write about it.

• For instance, imagine a little window popping up on your computer that reads: “Firefox doesn’t know what to do :( ”

• I find great comfort/joy in adding words to my Microsoft Word Dictionary. Language can be conquered! Boo-yah!
  

• In California I drive slowly (occasionally) out of fear of getting egregiously expensive tickets. In Iowa, I drive slowly (almost always) because I’m afraid I’m going to hit a deer.

--buelsy (one foot in the shower)